This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics

Thursday, January 1, 2009

No snowstorm tonight in Seattle

Several of you have asked about a potential snowstorms tonight...particularly since the NWS discussion seems to be threatening one due to an errant "deformation zone." Anyway, I just don't see it. There could be a snowstorm..but that will be over SW Washington and Portland--perhaps extending into the very SE suburbs of Seattle. The latest satellite picture shows the low offshore of Oregon (look for the tight swirl in the infrared satellite picture). This low appears to be somewhat more intense than forecast...but it does seem to be going in well south of us..as the models indicated. The precipitation shield is south of Seattle and should stay that way with the low's trajectory. With heavier precipitation to our south and northerly winds wrapping around the low bringing in cooler air behind...the Portland area and the SW WA corner could see snow (see 24 hr snow predictions ending 4 PM tomorrow afternoon) and perhaps a significant amount. That is certainly true above 500 ft. The low will move westward tomorrow morning and cooler, drier air will move in behind. But I hate to say it, there is another snow threat tomorrow night as a weak disturbance moves in while we have cold air in place. Will check that out tomorrow...but the city should get the salt ready!

After years of enjoying your KUOW segment, I started tracking your blog when the recent Weather Event started. Grabbed your book when I saw it at the store; at today's late Christmas with my sister, she gave another copy to me as a gift, in recognition of my many raves about you and the passion you pass on to all of us who love the Pacific NW. Now I check in a couple of times a day with your blog, and love all the comments.

Report from Tumwater: Things are calm, almost balmy after what we've been through. Please, let us be finished with this. If I wanted snow and cold, I'd go back to Western Washington where I grew up! Hope the weather underground is wrong, as I want a few friends over for my birthday.

Thank you for your post as we were just wondering about tonight. Also appreciate that you have eastern WA on the maps. They are really working hard over there trying to keep roads and roofs safe.

Have "double vision" of weather related to interest in whole state. Regularly travel to NE WA corner about once a month, so very used to driving in all kinds of conditions. Currently live Seattle's Queen Anne Hill and have for thirty years. Drove both Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes last weekend and the scariest part was the first five blocks off QA, because of no maintenance and oversight. Whether salt or not, city hills need to have at least one or two access routes attended to for necessary travel and emergency vehicles. Used to until this year. WSDOT does great job with maintenance and communication. SDOT did neither.

There are heavy (wet) snow flurries outside - must have started around 12:30 - 1:30.Not sticking. Looks like we are right about at the snow level. Figured you might be interested in that data. Unfortunately no temp gage (yet). Wind is clam.

report from the alameda ridge- elev approx 200ft - in NE portland--- at 2:30 am - jan 2- in portland it was snowing heavily w/ about 2inches on the ground. by 6am stopped and now we have a bit of sun and 35 degrees.but clouds all around .please keep including portland! you have fans here!!

Disappointed again in your advocation for using salt, especially considering this storm wasn't the big snow event that happened last week. This is the exact reason why people like myself argue against salt at all, because once you have it, you'll have people crying to use it at even the lightest dusting. Then you DO get very negative consequences to the environment.

Curious what your colleagues and peers at UW -- the scientists who actually study it -- think about the impact of salt to the Puget Sound region.

Huh, missed yesterday; busy day here, as both of the people I gave birth to had to be at work. What with dodging them and the dogs and the unwashed feast dishes, didn't get a current temp until 11am Jan 1, when it was 41.6; the Max/min was even later in the day, and were 34.2 and 46.8.

Today there was a change for the less wonderful: 9am current temp 30.6, overnight minimum 30.2, and a half-inch of icy snow on the ground. I checked my usual commercial site (Intellicast, which I started using back when both the NWS and UW sites were prone to crash; now I'm used to their satelite and radar maps can usually figure out whether I can hang laundry out any given day) and was displeased by the chunk of trouble hanging out at the international dateline at about 45 North.

Clear today; I'm hoping to be able to get a picture of Mt. Rainier with my new camera. Speaking of The Mountain, thanks for your frequent mention of lensatic clouds; it was the earliest weather sign I was taught, and the one which is still most reliable: cap on the mountain at sunset, rain tomorrow.